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July 10, 2012

Easier Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

This dish is so so so YUMMY!!
I didn't want to stop eating it. It was so easy to throw together and I know it will be a frequent dinner item, because it was loved by all.

I really love my other version of Chicken Cordon Bleu Florentine Casserole, but I wanted to give you another option which is a little easier to make and uses common ingredients (no spinach and no Gorgonzola). I used the base sauce recipe from this Guiltless Alfredo (it is made in a blender), but added Swiss cheese instead of Parmesan. It was so cheesy. I LOVE cheese! The sauce turns out thick and rich and creamy. I even used fat-free cream cheese, but feel free to use whatever you have in your fridge. If you never got a chance to try out this amazing sauce with the alfredo, now is your chance with this recipe. It really is a great sauce and you could adapt it to work in so many different dishes.

2 c. milk (I used 1%)3 oz. cream cheese(I used fat-free)2 Tbl. flour1 tsp. kosher salt1 Tbl. butter1 garlic clove, minced1 tsp. Italian seasoning1/2 tsp. onion powderpepper1 - 1 1/2 c. Swiss cheese, shredded1 large chicken breast, cooked and shredded3/4 c. deli ham, chopped5 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled2 1/2 c. pasta, cooked (whatever shape you have on hand) (measure the pasta before it is cooked)Topping:Panko bread crumbsdried parsleypowdered Parmesan cheeseor use Italian seasoned bread crumbsAdd the milk, cream cheese, flour and kosher salt to a blender. Blend until completely smooth and creamy. Meanwhile, melt butter in a large skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute about 30 seconds. Carefully pour in the sauce mixture. Stir constantly for 3-4 minutes or until it comes to a simmer. Add Italian seasoning, onion powder and pepper. Taste, and add more seasoning, if needed. Continue cooking until sauce thickens, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes or so. Once it reaches desired consistency, add the shredded Swiss cheese and stir until melted. Add the shredded chicken, chopped ham, crumbled bacon and cooked pasta. Stir together until everything is coated in sauce. Pour into a large casserole dish. Cover top with Panko bread crumbs, parsley and a little powdered Parmesan cheese. Or, you can omit those three ingredients and use Italian seasoned bread crumbs. Spray topping lightly with butter spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 - 20 minutes or until hot and bubbly and bread crumbs are lightly browned. (If you don't care about the bread crumbs being browned, you could skip the baking part and eat this immediately as it will be creamier if you don't bake it). Serves: 4 - 6Jenn's Notes: You don't need to soften the cream cheese before you add it to the blender, you can add it cold, right out of the fridge! Regular table salt can be used in place of kosher salt, but make sure to use half as much.

This was really good. I made it for dinner lst night and did a double to freeze one for later. I thought it could be a little saucier, so today I made a little more alfredo and added the leftovers in and warmed it through, there was not enough left to go around. When we eat the one from the freezer I will just add a little more sauce to the top.

This is definately a keeper, all of my 5 kids LOVED it. That is hard to do, trust me!

This looks so yummy (and so much easier than the real thing!). I'm hosting a linky party "One Creative Weekend" at OneCreativeMommy.com. I'd love for you to visit and link up this idea and/or anything else you'd like to share.

Jenn- I just had your aunt, Marie (who's one of my facebook followers) ask me if I've heard of your blog! I laughed out loud and thought HECK YES! I love, love, love your blog... and it's recipes like this that make me love it so much :) I can't wait to try this. It sounds AMAZING!

Hi - I actually have never frozen this or any kind of pasta, so I can't tell you if it freezes well or not. If you try it let me know, so I can let my readers know. I use either a 8x8 or 9x9 pan, but you could use a 9x13 if that is all you have. If you don't care about toasting the bread crumbs, you don't even have to bake it. Using a different cheese is going to change the flavor of the dish, but I guess you could use any kind of cheese you like (Sharp Cheddar, Pepper Jack, Monterey, etc . . . ). Good luck - Jenn